I’m a big fan of using index cards as organizational tools. They’re cheap, relatively sturdy, and the perfect size for jotting down tasks and notes, among many other uses.

Unless you really like flipping through cards over and over, though, it can be difficult to keep from losing track of everything you have going on your cards. If you’ve searched for a solution to this, you may have encountered Levenger’s excellent Note Card Action Board. But at nearly $40 for a 13″x15.5″ board, they’re pretty pricy.

I made my own in less than 5 minutes for a fraction of the cost using simple parts I picked up on a trip to my local art store. All you need is a board, and several large, heavy-duty rubber bands.

Any sturdy board will work, but the board I chose is the 16″x20″ Studio Panel. It’s essentially a 3/8″ thick piece of masonite with a canvas-like surface, and you can get them in many different sizes. The textured surface of the board provides a little bit of friction to keep the cards secure, and could easily be painted to match the decor of your office. The back of the panel includes pre-drilled holes for hanging on the wall.

Assembly is quick and easy. Just stretch your rubber bands over the board and space them according to the size of the cards you use. And BAM! DIY Note Card Action Board. Then you can use your label maker to mark the different sections of the board for your productivity system.